Uplifting documentary allows its funny, flawed and likable subject to tell the poignant story of how she came to realise who she was
In 2016, the comedian Julia Scotti auditioned for America’s Got Talent and brought the house down. Once the applause had died away, the judges asked Scotti, then 63, why she’d come to comedy so late in life. She explained she’d actually been doing it for years – but as a man called Rick, in the mists of the 1980s, when she’d shared bills with Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld.
This uplifting documentary tells Scotti’s story, and director Susan Sandler doesn’t take a whizz-bang approach – there’s some animation here and there, but most of the film is spent simply letting Scotti talk about her life in different settings: on stage, in cars, on sofas with her grownup son. The no-frills strategy works because Scotti is such cracking company,...
In 2016, the comedian Julia Scotti auditioned for America’s Got Talent and brought the house down. Once the applause had died away, the judges asked Scotti, then 63, why she’d come to comedy so late in life. She explained she’d actually been doing it for years – but as a man called Rick, in the mists of the 1980s, when she’d shared bills with Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld.
This uplifting documentary tells Scotti’s story, and director Susan Sandler doesn’t take a whizz-bang approach – there’s some animation here and there, but most of the film is spent simply letting Scotti talk about her life in different settings: on stage, in cars, on sofas with her grownup son. The no-frills strategy works because Scotti is such cracking company,...
- 3/30/2023
- by Leaf Arbuthnot
- The Guardian - Film News
The new documentary Julia Scotti: Funny That Way, begins with senior trans standup comedienne Julia Scotti reflecting on her 69 years and an arduous but ultimately fulfilling journey to embrace her female gender identity.
“Just a baby born male who never felt quite right,” Scotti observes, adding modestly, “It isn’t much to speak of, but it is my life.”
The film, by first-time director Susan Sandler, documents the path Scott took to a later-in-life resurgence of her comedy career, a flourishing that could only come through self-acceptance. The documentary, released by 1091 Pictures as Pride Month kicked off, is available on streaming platforms, including iTunes, Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, Vimeo, and Vudu.
“Originally from Fairview, New Jersey, for the first 48 years she was better known as comedian Rick Scotti,” Julia writes on her website. “She toured the country, appearing at venues all over the United States and Canada,...
“Just a baby born male who never felt quite right,” Scotti observes, adding modestly, “It isn’t much to speak of, but it is my life.”
The film, by first-time director Susan Sandler, documents the path Scott took to a later-in-life resurgence of her comedy career, a flourishing that could only come through self-acceptance. The documentary, released by 1091 Pictures as Pride Month kicked off, is available on streaming platforms, including iTunes, Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, Vimeo, and Vudu.
“Originally from Fairview, New Jersey, for the first 48 years she was better known as comedian Rick Scotti,” Julia writes on her website. “She toured the country, appearing at venues all over the United States and Canada,...
- 6/28/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Joan Micklin Silver’s Crossing Delancey, her studio romantic comedy about a thirtysomething trying to escape her Lower East Side roots, is the epitome of the New York Woman series the Quad has been running all month. After a difficult experience at United Artists with her 1979 masterpiece Chilly Scenes of Winter, Silver took on her biggest production yet, an adaptation of Susan Sandler’s stage play, Crossing Delancey. The Nebraska native returned to examining Jewish identity in New York, as she did in her first film Hester Street, but instead of immigrants at the turn of the century, her focus was […]...
- 7/17/2018
- by Graham Carter
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Joan Micklin Silver’s Crossing Delancey, her studio romantic comedy about a thirtysomething trying to escape her Lower East Side roots, is the epitome of the New York Woman series the Quad has been running all month. After a difficult experience at United Artists with her 1979 masterpiece Chilly Scenes of Winter, Silver took on her biggest production yet, an adaptation of Susan Sandler’s stage play, Crossing Delancey. The Nebraska native returned to examining Jewish identity in New York, as she did in her first film Hester Street, but instead of immigrants at the turn of the century, her focus was […]...
- 7/17/2018
- by Graham Carter
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.